Coronavirus surges in Quito after Ecuador eases lockdown
Al JazeeraHospitals in Quito are filling up and the crematoria at funeral parlors are pushed to keep up with demand. Struggling to breathe, Luis Gualotuna arrived before dawn Wednesday at a coronavirus testing site in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, which has experienced an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases since the government started to reopen the economy last month. “The public is very afraid of the slightest respiratory symptom,” said Dr Marco de la Torre, graduate professor at Central University in Quito. “Queries have exploded for fear of COVID-19, although many have the common flu.” In past days, hundreds of people with breathing problems have been waiting in line to get coronavirus tests at medical attention sites installed by the municipality. There are “pockets of disobedience that can trigger infections at a time when we need more control,” although most people comply with the guidelines, said government minister Maria Paula Romo.